Miramar Police Chief Delrish Moss spoke out Tuesday after the arrest of a convicted felon accused of trying to abduct a 13-year-old girl outside a Florida gas station.
Michael Polanco, 32, was denied bond during his first court appearance Tuesday following his late Monday arrest on charges of kidnapping, causing bodily harm and terrorizing the teenager. The Miramar Police Department had been hunting the suspect since the morning attack, which unfolded in broad daylight outside a local gas station and was captured on surveillance footage.
Polanco, wearing a bright orange bicycle helmet, approached the girl outside the station Monday and put his arm around her shoulders, according to video reviewed by NBC6. He then marched her away from the business before she managed to duck under his arm and break free.
The girl paused only to grab a bright pink headband that Polanco threw at her after abandoning his chase, the footage showed. She then ran back into the gas station in tears to seek help from employees and customers inside.
A witness told officers that Polanco had made “provocative sexual and explicit comments” toward the teenager before the physical confrontation, according to a police report obtained by the Miami Herald. Dispatch audio reviewed by WSVN revealed an additional detail from the encounter: Polanco allegedly told the girl “to give him some kisses” during the approach.
Polanco’s criminal history includes prior convictions for robbery and trespassing, along with an indecent exposure charge on his record. He was taken into custody late Monday after police responded to a separate disturbance call, reports said, though authorities did not elaborate on the nature of that second incident.
“We’re glad he was captured before he was able to do something much more sinister,” Moss said, calling the case “deeply disturbing.”
The chief’s statement underscored the department’s relief at preventing what investigators believe could have escalated into a more severe crime. Polanco now faces multiple felony counts tied to the attempted abduction and the physical restraint of the minor.
During Tuesday’s bond hearing, a judge ordered Polanco held without release and imposed additional restrictions on the defendant. He has been formally banned from possessing firearms and barred from returning to the gas station where the attack occurred.